Shapiro calls for nearly $1 billion increase in education funding for public schools in PA
Another year, another billion-dollar boost for public schools.
Like he has done each of his first two years in office, Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday called for Pennsylvania to dramatically increase its funding for public education. In an address to the General Assembly, he presented a 2025-26 state budget proposal that would see overall education funding jump by just under $1 billion.
The proposal comes on the heels of a pair of billion-dollar hikes to education funding that Shapiro managed to push through during his first two years in office — making good on promises he made during his gubernatorial campaign to support public education and address inequity among the state's 500 school district.
During his address, Shapiro said he believes the effort is paying off and needs to continue.
'What we're doing for education is working — let's continue to build on this foundation we've laid,' he said.
Shapiro is proposing to do that by funneling more state dollars to public schools.
His budget proposal includes a $75 million increase statewide increase in basic education funding, the main stream of state money to public school districts. He is also calling for a $526 million increase in Ready to Learn Block Grants, which would direct dollars to historically underfunded districts in an attempt to address issues of financial inequity.
The governor has also proposed a statewide increase in special education funding of $40 million.
Berks County impact
The governor's proposal would see an additional $40.9 million in state funding come to Berks public school districts — the majority of which would find its way to the Reading School District.
Reading would see a modest increases of $2 million in basic education funding and $860,000 in special education funding. Its real boon would come through the adequacy funding distributed through the Ready to Learn Block Grant program, netting Reading an additional $25.6 million.
While basic education and special education funding increases would be mostly modest for Berks school districts, a handful will see substantial boosts from the block grant program.
Muhlenberg School District would get just over $2.1 million; Wilson School District would get more than $1.9 million; Gov. Mifflin School District would receive nearly $1.6 million; and Boyertown School District would receive just over $1.4 million.
Berks reactions
The Pennsylvania education community — including educators in Berks — expressed appreciation for Shapiro's continued support of public education.
'Gov. Shapiro has been an advocate for public education since he came into office,' Dr. Joseph Macharola, Muhlenberg superintendent, said. 'We are very pleased with the governor's continuing support of education, especially here in the Muhlenberg School District as we begin to see the environment from Washington with efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and ultimately handover total control to the states.'
Dr. Joseph Macharola
Macharola said the Trump Administration's announcement that it intends to shut down the federal Department of Education means public school districts may have to rely more heavily on support from the state in the years to come. That means seeing continued investments in basic and special education are critical.
Macharola said he is especially appreciative of the governor's efforts to address funding inequity, pointing out that Muhlenberg has the second highest poverty rate in the county.
'Our enrollment continues to grow and we have obligations to our students and families — from having exceptional physical plants to the arts, music and humanities to our basic core academic obligations, including the emotional health of our students,' he said. 'Investments in public education is necessary now more than ever.'
Thomas Voelker, Daniel Boone School District superintendent, said that the governor's budget takes important steps towards adequately funding education in the state and shows a strong understanding of the challenges facing districts across the commonwealth.
Thomas Voelker
'Public education in Pennsylvania has historically been significantly underfunded, and the governor is working hard to ensure adequate funding is made available,' he said.
Voelker said that, unfortunately, most districts in Berks have to rely heavily on local taxpayers for revenue and could use more help from the state to ease the burden.
'The additional revenue proposed in governor's budget would go a long way in helping districts keep tax rates down,' he said. 'While districts have been constantly looking for new and innovative ways to reduce expenditures, inflation is still impacting all districts in a very real way.'
Dr. Jill Hackman, executive director of the Berks County Intermediate Unit, expressed appreciation for the commitment to the advancement of education in the governor's budget.
Dr. Jill Hackman (COURTESY OF BERKS COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT)
'The funding allocations outlined in the proposal reflect an ongoing recognition of education's critical role in strengthening communities and supporting the well-being of all Pennsylvanians,' she said.
Hackman added that she understands the governor's budget is just a proposal and that final funding levels will be decided by the Legislature.
'While we are encouraged by these proposed education investments, we understand that the budget is subject to ongoing discussions, budget hearings and negotiations within the state Legislature,' she said. 'We also recognize the importance of ensuring that these investments are sustainable in the long term.'
Dr. Chris Trickett, Wilson superintendent, also said he was pleased by the governor's proposal.
Dr. Chris Trickett (COURTESY OF WILSON SCHOOL DISTRICT)
'The Wilson School District is thankful for the increased state funding, which is essential for managing rising costs and meeting the needs of our growing student body,' he said. 'We urge state leaders to continue investing in student well-being so we can better serve our community and ensure student success.'
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Statewide reactions
Pennsylvania State Education Association President Aaron Chapin said in a statement issued Tuesday that he also appreciated the governor's support of public education.
'We commend Governor Shapiro's remarkably strong commitment to public education.' he said. 'As a whole, this budget represents a major step forward in fully and fairly funding our public schools and addressing the educator shortage.
'While there's no doubt that legislators, advocates, parents and others will debate about specific line items in the proposal, the governor has absolutely knocked this budget out of the park.'
A statement issued Tuesday from the PA Schools Work Campaign, a coalition of 17 education-focused organizations from across Pennsylvania, likewise lauded the governor.
'Education advocates across Pennsylvania welcome Governor Shapiro's continued commitment to building a constitutional public school funding system,' it stated. 'The positive impact of last year's investments is already visible in classrooms across the commonwealth, demonstrating that targeted funding works for our students.'
The statement urged lawmakers to use the governor's proposal as a starting point and to ensure every school district the resources they need as quickly as possible.
'This education funding proposal must be viewed through the prism of the complex environment public schools operate in and the very real budgetary constraints that create barriers to their success, rather than a line-by-line perspective,' it stated. 'The final budget agreement must include, and in many cases exceed, the other educational investments and reforms outlined in the governor's budget.'
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